The First Night

This poem was inspired by the non-profit organization To Write Love On Her Arms.

She sits on her bed Her face wet with tears She’s wondering how long it’s going to be this way They told her it was almost over Told her only one last night She doesn’t know if she can make it through The things that brought her here Suddenly aren’t worth the pain Aren’t worth the loss of friends once close But it did teach her something It taught her who she can really trust Who really loves her enough to be this tough The nurse comes into her room She’s sent to the counselor It’s her final session When she gets to the office she sits on the couch The doctor calls her name She looks up and begins to cry once more This goodbye is the hardest one to make She’s leaving her best friend Her confidant She talks of the future She will buy a house Have a family and start her career The doctor is proud She knows she’s getting better She’s turning her life around After the session she goes to dinner All her new friends know it’s her last night They tell her how they love her and wish her the best She knows many of them will leave soon And some of them won’t They are too afraid to say goodbye Dinner ends and she goes to her room She begins to pack her things Remembering each item before she puts it away A note from her mother A dried rose from her sister A cd made by her closest friends Each song represents a chapter in her life Chapters that have ended And some that are yet to begin There are many more gifts Things from good friends And friends she didn’t even know she had Soon she is too tired to stay awake She goes to sleep one last time Tomorrow she knows she will start over It is the best sleep she’s had in months She dreams of everything she knows is coming Of hope and love In the morning she wakes with a start A knock on her door from a kind nurse Come to tell her it’s time to go She gets dressed and finishes packing She wants this day to be perfect Wants to prove she’s turning things around She walks out to the waiting room and there they are All her best friends coming to take her home They plan on giving her the best day they can After countless hugs and “I love you”’s It’s time to leave They walk out of that place one last time The day is spent at all her favorite places They go to the park, a museum, the best restaurant in town The day ends at a concert of her favorite band When she gets home they spend a while talking They catch her up on everything she’s missed She feels like she never left It gets late and all but one leaves He’s here for the night To keep her on the ground They get ready for bed and she begins to cry He holds her and tells her how beautiful she is How proud of her he is She tells him she loves him and she’s glad he’s here They fall asleep in each other’s arms And she sleeps for the first night of her new life

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